Swanson Reacts to Record-Setting Third Year with no State Budget

on
Thursday, June 01, 2017

"I join millions of Illinoisans in outrage over the futility
of the Illinois State Budgeting process we’ve seen displayed for far too many
years.

I was sworn into the Illinois House just in January. Now, in June, we stand at the edge of a
record-setting third year without a State Budget in place. I share in the disgust voters feel over this
failure of leadership on behalf of those leading our legislative chambers. Let’s remember, the budgeting process as
prescribed by the Illinois Constitution rests with the Legislature. That is the co-equal separation of powers set
up under our Constitution. The Governor
proposes a budget, the Illinois Legislature sets a revenue estimate and passes
a budget that the Governor may sign, veto, or line-item veto. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel to spur
action, we just have to follow our constitutional duty. The Governor proposed a budget. The Legislature failed to adopt a revenue
estimate or pass a budget. It’s that
simple.

When Majority Democrats running the Illinois House failed to
adopt a revenue estimate, I joined

colleagues on my side of the aisle in
sponsoring HB 1815, a bill to set the revenue estimate. The Speaker refused to let the bill out of
Rules Committee, sealing its fate.

The notion has been out there, and I have been remised to
believe it until now, that perhaps the Democrat Majority leading the
legislature will refuse to allow this Governor to enact a budget during his
first term in office. The failure of the
legislature to set a revenue estimate and pass a budget certainly feeds this
conspiracy theory and brings it into the realm of reasonable presumption. Had the legislature sent this Governor
budgets, of any kind, they could make a better case that responsibility for
this mess rests with the Executive co-equal branch, but by failing to pass a
revenue estimate and a budget, it is clear that the legislative branch has
failed in fulfilling its Constitutional Duty.
Full stop.

As a minority member of this co-equal legislative branch of
government, I urge our leaders on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers,
to immediately address this breach of oath and enact a revenue estimate and
negotiate a balanced comprehensive budget.
It’s the path forward prescribed by our Constitution and it’s disgusting
that so many of my colleagues are not taking their Oath of Office
seriously. I certainly do and am hoarse
from calling for action and reasonable compromise, within the lawful framework
with which we have sworn to adhere.